Good nutrition is essential for fight against cancer

More patients, doctors are embracing complementary cancer therapies, including using diet and supplements to strengthen the immune system and to fight the effects of cancer treatment.

Buy Photo

Leslie Boxer of Armonk, 41, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007 when she was 34. She had a double mastectomy and was on an anti-cancer drug for five years, but is now in remission. Several years ago she began experiencing sustained achiness and worried that her cancer had returned. It hadn'?t, but her doctors were unable to pinpoint exactly what was wrong. She finally turned to Dr. Susan Blum at the Blum Center for Health in Rye, who specializes in treating and preventing chronic diseases with personalized, more holistic medicine. Blum diagnosed her with leaky gut syndrome, which is now under control. Boxer changed her diet, eating more fruits and vegetables, switching to organic dairy products, avoiding sugar and taking special vitamins and supplements. All of this was spurred by the leaky gut diagnosis, but she also wanted to do it in an effort to prevent a cancer recurrence. Boxer is photographed at home in Armonk.(Photo: Tania Savayan/The Journal News)Buy Photo

For our series on complementary cancer care, we spoke to five local women who tried different therapies.

LESLIE BOXER

Diet and supplements

Her cancer story: Leslie Boxer's father died of kidney cancer when she was 17, and her mother developed breast cancer in her 50s. So Boxer wanted to be proactive about her own health, starting with routine mammograms. The American Cancer Society and other organizations recommend starting annual mammograms at age 40, but when Boxer was 34, her gynecologist suggested that she go for a baseline scan, intended to give radiologists a way to compare changes in her breast tissue later on. That baseline screening was anything but typical: The mammogram found ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), a noninvasive type of cancer, in her right breast. "I was shocked, absolutely shocked," says Boxer, who is now 41 and the mother of two school-age children. A lumpectomy would have been disfiguring, since the cancer was spread out. So Boxer chose to have both breasts removed, since someone with DCIS is at a higher risk for developing a new breast cancer. "Knowing myself, I'd be worried," she says. "I decided to do both so I didn't have to constantly have that hanging over my head." Luckily, the cancer was caught early enough that Boxer didn't need chemotherapy or radiation.

But then in late 2012, she began to feel achy all the time, as if she were about to get the flu. She immediately thought her cancer had returned, but that wasn't it. Tests for various autoimmune diseases came back negative, too. Boxer's doctors put her on anti-inflammatory drugs to deal with the condition. "I felt better for a period of time, but then it came back," she says. Frustrated by a lack of answers, Boxer went to see Dr. Susan Blum, director of the Blum Center for Health in Rye Brook, who offers an integrative, holistic approach to treating and preventing chronic diseases. After asking a long list of questions, performing a physical exam and ordering detailed lab tests, Blum was able to pinpoint what was wrong with Boxer — leaky gut syndrome — a condition that occurs when an irritated bowel wall allows food particles and other substances to pass into the rest of the body — and put her on a more robust path with dietary changes and supplements.

The complementary therapy: Good nutrition is important for everyone, but Blum says it should be the No. 1 priority for anyone who's had cancer. Blum often sees patients for unrelated problems years after they've been treated, noting that stress from dealing with the disease can manifest itself in other ways. "Symptoms people develop later can be related to the aftermath of everything they went through," says Blum. "That's when everyone comes to find me, when the dust settles." Blum first sent Boxer for an MRI to make sure her breast implants, which were inserted during reconstructive surgery, weren't leaking. They weren't, but Boxer was stunned that her other doctors hadn't mentioned the possibility. Blum also told Boxer to have the water in her family's Armonk home tested for toxic metals; that was fine, too. Boxer next went through a three-week elimination diet to see if any food allergies or sensitivities might be triggering her illness. And while she didn't react to any foods or food ingredients, like eggs or gluten, the overall diet immediately had her feeling better. To combat leaky gut syndrome, a natural healing program was prescribed, including a low-sugar, low-dairy diet. Boxer is also taking vitamins and supplements including omega-3, vitamin D and probiotics — along with BroccoProtect, a capsule made from extracts of cruciferous, or dark green, vegetables. (Some studies suggest that cruciferous vegetables may have anti-cancer effects.)

How it helped: Boxer is amazed by how much better she feels now, by simply adjusting what she eats. Her diet didn't need to be completely overhauled — she wasn't a soda drinker or a fast food eater, for example — but she has significantly bumped up her intake of grains, fruits and vegetables. Boxer also has switched to more organic products, in order to reduce her exposure to chemicals in food. "It's mostly just making sure that I gravitate toward more natural foods," she says. The hardest part? Giving up her favorite vanilla cookies. "I do like a cookie after dinner — or two or three, to be honest," she laughs. "But I've been avoiding that."

Her health now: From now on, Boxer plans to go for regular MRIs to check on her breast implants. Continuing to see Blum is another key move that she believes empowers her in the fight against a cancer recurrence. "I feel she's looking out for me in ways going forward, so I can take better care of my body," says Boxer. "It's comforting."

About this project

Learn more about complimentary cancer care on our special page at www.lohud.com/mindbodycancer. Find stories like:

Life with cancer is stressful. Upper Grandview's Debra Richardson turned to a combination of yoga and meditation to bring the body and mind to a peaceful state, and provide a focus in the battle against the disease.

Equine therapy has brought joy to many people with disabilities. Why not cancer patients? The Therapeutic Equestrian Center in Cold Spring aids women with breast cancer by engaging them in horse-related activities.